New Data Shows Divorce Rates Decreasing in Michigan, Oakland County

New data analyzed by Kurt Metzger of the Oakland County Times has revealed a decrease in divorce rates in Michigan and Oakland County. Approximately 20,491 divorces in Michigan were recorded in 2023 compared to 26,148 in 2019, significantly down from an all-time high of 45,047 in 1980. For Oakland County, the number of divorces in 2023 was 2,317 compared to 2,884 in 2019 and 6,202 in 1980.

In his analysis, Metzger noted Michigan's divorce rate has been about 87% that of the United States, with the recent drop bringing down the percentage to only 59%. Since 2000, Oakland County's divorce rate has run just below the state average. In 2023, the divorce rate stood at 3.7, with the state averaging 4.1

According to Metzger, one factor contributing to the decrease in the divorce rate is that millennials are waiting to get married and stay married. However, it's important to note that this is only one of many influences on the divorce rate decrease. Nationally, the overall trend for the divorce rate since 2008 has remained on a downward trajectory despite a slight increase from 2021 to 2022.

With the decrease in divorce rates for Michigan and Oakland County since 2000, marriages in the state and Oakland County have fallen by 30% and 35% since the beginning of the millennium.